Mulholland Dr. (2001)

In Best Director-nominated David Lynch's surreal, confusing, mystifying, mind-twisting, dream-like modern neo-noir, it told about the illusion of Hollywood fame in the 'city of dreams.' The film's themes included unrequited love, exploitation, corruption, false hopes and dreams, half-truths, and doppelgangers, with elements including strange blue keys and boxes, a red lampshade, the Silencio nightclub, a conflicted Hollywood director pressured by mobsters to cast a certain actress, a diner named Winkie's with a monstrous creature outside by the dumpster, and other unusual settings and characters.

On a budget of $15 million, Lynch's dramatic mystery-thriller grossed only $7.2 million (domestic) and $20.3 million (worldwide).

The most confusing aspect of this mystery drama with a non-linear narrative was that it told a twisting and turning tale involving dual characterizations (or personas, or split psyches) of the two female protagonists. A viewer would benefit by realizing that the first three quarters of the film (roughly 111 minutes of the 147 minute film) was an idealistically-portrayed, wholly-imagined, and romanticized fantasy dream by one of the two females. A mysterious blue 'Pandora's' box with a blue key signified the break between the first part of the film's DREAM (told in traditional linear fashion) and the second part's REALITY. Both parts were enhanced with flashbacks, subconscious thoughts, memories, and further dreams-hallucinations.

The first major character (although not introduced first) was Diane Selwyn (Naomi Watts) - a dirty-blonde (and cocaine junkie) who was the fantasized, idealized flip-side of aspiring, wholesome, pert blonde starlet Betty Elms (also Watts). Betty had come to Hollywood to hopefully find fame. In a nutshell, Diane and Betty were the same person (most of the film was Diane's fantasy dream and play-acting of being successful in Hollywood as Betty). When Diane's unrealistic dream of stardom and becoming an actress wasn't fulfilled, she became seriously depressed, delusional, irrational and murderous. Rejected by both a director and lover, the now-jaded starlet Diane sought retribution.

The second major character was Diane's brunette lesbian lover Camilla Rhodes (Laura Elena Harring), who jilted and betrayed Diane by being selected for a film role by the director and then falling in love with him. At first, Camilla was revealed as a dependent and lost amnesiac, temporarily named 'Rita' (Laura Elena Harring) - she was named after Rita Hayworth on a Gilda (1946) poster. She had suffered a car wreck on Mulholland Drive, a possible attempted murder, and a head concussion. She happened to meet up with Betty who was residing in an LA apartment building. At first, Betty took it upon herself to care for the dependent and memory-impaired 'Rita'. However, after the struggling Betty/Diane found herself competing and losing against the full-bodied, competing femme fatale actress 'Rita'/Camilla (both Harring and Melissa George), Diane jealously put out a hit contract on her ex-lover.

Guilt-ridden and remorseful after ordering the murder of Camilla who had ascended to stardom, and knowing that the hit had been made, Diane committed suicide; her rotting corpse was found on her bed. During her own extended death throes, she didn't blame her personal failings or problems, but had found comfort in conspiratorial ideas and other imagined ways to cast blame elsewhere, but all ended in tragedy.

• as the film opened before the title credits, a perky, smiling, excited, strongly-willed, successful blonde ingenue named Betty (Naomi Watts) won a teen jitterbug dance contest in Canada
• just before the appearance of the road sign for "Mulholland Dr," a POV shot was displayed of a person (unseen) - after snorting coke? - laying their head on a bed with reddish sheets and a pillow; this was a hint that much of the film would be a delusional dream or have significant dream elements

Opening Titles: Jitterbug Sequence

The Jitterbug Dance Contest Winner - Betty

Before the Appearance of the Title - POV of a Head Hitting a Pillow - To Dream

• during the credits, at nighttime in LA, a black, chauffeured Cadillac limousine slowly wound its way up Mulholland Dr - a famous twisting and turning road in Hollywood; its occupant was an unidentified brunette; after the limo pulled over, the brunette found herself ordered by the driver (Scott Wulff), pointing his gun (with silencer), to vacate the vehicle; the headlights of a drag-racing car filled with teenagers illuminated the female before accidentally crashing into the limo, killing the driver and gunman, and the occupants of the other vehicle; the brunette stumbled from the flaming wreckage and viewed the shining lights of Los Angeles far below before wandering trance-like into the dark woods; later, she emerged in a residential area and crossed Sunset Blvd., before briefly falling asleep in some bushes

The Unnamed Brunette In a Limo Just Before Experiencing a Car Crash and Suffering Amnesia, and Before She Snuck into a Vacated Apartment Building

• two detectives McKnight and Domgaard (Robert Forster and Brent Briscoe) back at the Mulholland Drive crash site investigated the wreckage; they had found pearl earrings in the limo's back seat; meanwhile, the brunette awakened and watched as a red-haired woman was departing from her nearby apartment building and leaving in a taxi-cab with her suitcases and trunk; the brunette snuck into the open door of the apartment and hid until she heard the door being locked from the outside, and then fell asleep on the floor

Winkie's Diner on Sunset Blvd.

Dan (Patrick Fischler)

Herb (Michael Cooke)

• one of the key scenes in the film occurred before the main plot went into high gear; at Winkie's Diner on Sunset Blvd., Dan (Patrick Fischler) hesitantly, in a long monologue (located at about the 12-17 minute mark of the film), told his well-dressed friend Herb (Michael Cooke) inside the restaurant about a dream that they had both been in:
  • "I had a dream about this place...Well, it's the second one I've had, but they're both the same. They start out that I'm in here but it's not day or night. It's kinda half night, you know? But it looks just like this, except for the light. And I'm scared like I can't tell ya. Of all people, you're standing right over there - by that counter. You're in both dreams and you're scared. I get even more frightened when I see how afraid you are and then I realize what it is. There's a man in back of this place. He's the one who's doing it. I can see him through the wall. I can see his face. I hope that I never see that face ever outside of a dream. That's it."
• Dan ended by saying that the dream gave him a "god-awful feeling" that he needed to get rid of; afterwards with a foreboding feeling of dread, the two left Winkie's and walked around the side of the restaurant, and descended some steps (shot with a POV perspective) - proceeding stealthily and cautiously; from behind a graffiti-decorated concrete dumpster wall, a filthy, scary, monstrous and repulsive vagrant (Bonnie Aarons) briefly appeared to them in a quick flash - causing a great jump scare!; it caused Dan to have a heart attack, and he fell backwards into Herb's arms
• [Note: There was some resemblance between the faces of the Dan and the disheveled homeless vagrant -- a long face, prominent nose, and high cheekbones. He was symbolic of the 'demon' that would start to breed evil thoughts in Diane's disintegrating mind - to kill her girlfriend; metaphorically, Dan's story was actually the shocking and terrorizing fear of many individuals, including those who had failed in the "city of dreams," that they would end up homeless - sinking to levels of impoverishment and degradation before literally dying.]
• in the basic plot, Diane had a romanticized dream in which she presented herself as another character - as Betty (Naomi Watts); Betty was introduced as a wannabe newcomer to Los Angeles (the city of dreams) from Canada; after winning a jitterbug dance contest during the opening credits, it allowed her to travel to Hollywood: ("Oh! I can't believe it!")
• Betty arrived from Canada at LAX and was planning to stay in the vacant apartment of her beloved, older red-haired Aunt Ruth (Maya Bond) at 1612 Havenhurst; she was given the KEY (1st) by the building's manager "Coco" (Ann Miller), aka Mrs. Lenoix; Betty's Aunt Ruth was away on vacation, or possibly long-since dead, or as Betty shortly later claimed: "She's working on a movie that's being made in Canada"
• before meeting Betty, a confused, bruised and frightened dark-haired woman (not named yet) had just escaped a murder attempt on her life by a hit man in a limousine; the limo was rammed into by a drag-racing vehicle as the brunette was being driven to a party on Mulholland Dr. (#6980); Mullholland Drive was the location of the house of famed Hollywood director Adam (further information later); after the "accident," the brunette exited the limo and crime scene and walked downhill; afterwards, she wandered about - with amnesia induced by the car accident - and fell asleep in the vacated apartment where Betty was going to be staying
• Betty met the dark-haired, amnesiac young woman in the apartment, who claimed she was showering after suffering a car accident; Betty assumed her Aunt Ruth had given her permission to stay; the confused brunette didn't know her name - so she plucked the name 'Rita' from a 'Gilda' movie poster that mentioned star Rita Hayworth; both Betty and 'Rita' were presumably aspects of Diane's imagination [Note: in Diane's dream of stardom (in the person of Betty), she at first took charge of the relationship with the dependent, glamorous brunette dubbed 'Rita'.]
• Betty told the female about her Aunt's upscale place:
  • "I couldn't afford a place like this in a million years. Unless of course, I'm discovered and become a movie star. Of course, I'd rather be known as a great actress than a movie star, but, you know, sometimes people end up being both so, that is, I guess you'd say, sort of why I came here. I'm sorry. I'm just so excited to be here. I mean I just came here from Deep River, Ontario, and now I'm in this dream place"
• wounded in the forehead, 'Rita' insisted that she didn't need medical help and would be okay if she just slept: "It will feel okay if I sleep"
• meanwhile, casting director Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux) was being blackmailed, intimidated and threatened regarding his casting choices for the lead role in his new film; in the Ryan Entertainment building in downtown LA, Adam was being compelled by mobster-like agents - the Castigliane brothers: Vincenzo (Dan Hedaya) and Luigi (Angelo Badalamenti) - and an ominous, paralyzed and wheel-chaired Mr. Roque (Michael J. Anderson) calling the shots from behind the scenes, to cast their choice ("This is the girl") - an unknown, ingenue blonde actress (seen in a head-shot photo) named Camilla Rhodes (Melissa George) for the lead role in his new Hollywood film, The Sylvia North Story; Adam was highly resistant: "There's no way that girl is in my movie....That girl is not in my film!", but he was overruled

Actress Camilla Rhodes (Melissa George) (Headshot Photo)

• also in a foreshadowing, on the 6th floor of a downtown LA office building, inept hitman Joe Messing (Mark Pellegrino) was talking to his long-haired friend Ed (Vincent Castellanos), who jokingly mentioned a "f--king car accident" (the one that brought amnesiac 'Rita' to Betty's apartment); suddenly, Joe shot and killed his friend (with a silenced gun) in order to steal a "famous black book" (a phone book revealing phone numbers of Hollywood elites); while making the crime scene look like Ed had committed suicide, the gun accidentally discharged and wounded a Heavy-Set Woman (Diane Nelson) in an adjoining office; while trying to kill her before leaving, Joe also continued to flub his murder-for-hire job by murdering a Vacuum Man (Charlie Croughwell) standing in the hallway; he left three dead corpses in his wake
• once 'Rita' awoke, she admitted to Betty that she didn't remember her identity or real name: "I don't know what my name is. I don't know who I am!!"; a solid metal blue key and stacks of wrapped $100 dollar bills (about $125K) were unexpectedly found in Rita's purse; she could only remember "Mulholland Drive" - possibly the location of the car accident; Betty even suggested calling the police anonymously to see if there was the report of an accident there - with a crucial thematic statement: "It'll be just like in the movies. We'll pretend to be someone else"
• besides other pressures (including the shutting down of his set), director Adam was also having marital problems with his wife; when he arrived at his home unexpectedly, Adam's pool cleaner Gene (Billy Ray Cyrus), who was discovered sleeping with Adam's wife Lorraine (Lori Heuring), advised him to ignore his wife's infidelity; Adam retaliated by pouring pink paint over his wife's jewelry box; Adam was forcibly tossed out of his own house by Gene and had to seek refuge in a seedy, run-down LA hotel

Waitress Diane (Missy Crider) at Winkie's Restaurant - Causing 'Rita' To Recall the Name Diane Selwyn

• after hiding the cash in a hat box, 'Rita' and Betty (who wanted to solve the mystery of Rita's identity and play the role of a detective) visited Winkie's Diner on Sunset Blvd. where the waitress (Missy Crider) who served them was named "Diane," causing 'Rita' to remember the name Diane Selwyn (Betty's alter-ego); 'Rita' was unsure whether it might be her real name or not: ("Diane Selwyn - maybe that's my name...Maybe it's not me"); a phone call to Diane's number in the phone book resulted in no answer, although 'Rita' recognized the voice on the message: "It's not my voice, but I know her" [Note: There was no answer at Diane's number because she was already dead!]
• at the cheap downtown Park Hotel, Adam was informed by Cookie (Geno Silva), the manager of the hotel, that his money was no good and had been frozen up: "You're maxed out at your bank and that your line of credit has been cancelled"; Adam was being pressured and agreed to meet a mysterious, powerful individual known as The Cowboy (Monty Montgomery); Adam met up with the Cowboy by a horse corral at the top of Beachwood Canyon, where he was warned to select the proper "lead girl" for his next movie: "You will see me one more time if you do good. You will see me two more times if you do bad"
• during their search for 'Rita's' identity, Betty suggested visiting the Sierra Bonita apartment complex the next day where Diane Selwyn resided, postulating that 'Rita' might be Diane's roommate; unexpectedly, neighbor Louise Bonner (Lee Grant) knocked on the door and questioned what Betty was doing in Ruth's apartment, while wildly spreading fear: ("Someone is in trouble. Something bad is happening!"); Coco appeared and vouched for Betty as Ruth's niece, and described her as an aspiring actress; Coco helpfully presented Betty with "faxed pages of a scene for a big audition tomorrow" - with director Adam Kesher (revealed later to be her son!)
• but then the next morning, Coco returned to question Betty about her occupancy of Ruth's apartment after speaking to Ruth on the phone: ("She wants to know who's staying in her apartment") - it was suspected that Betty was an imposter!; Betty misinterpreted and thought Coco was asking about her friend 'Rita'; although dubious, Coco allowed Betty some time to sort things out: "What you're telling me is a load of horse-pucky even though it comes from a good place. Now I'm gonna trust you to sort this thing out"
• before any further investigation into 'Rita's' identity, naive wannabe starlet Betty took a cab to the studio to try out for a part in Adam's new Hollywood film; first, she performed in a scene with a tanned and aging lothario and soap opera actor Jimmy 'Woody' Katz (Chad Everett), who shouted out to the director Bob Brooker (Wayne Grace): "Hey Bobby, I wanna play this one nice and close, like we did with that other girl, uhm, what's her name? The one with the black hair. That felt kinda good, whaddya think?"; presumably, Woody had already auditioned the same scene with Camilla, although Betty was unaware that Woody was referring to 'Rita'

Betty's Creepy Audition Scene With Jimmy "Woody" Katz (Chad Everett)

• in the masterfully-acted audition scene with a sexually-tainted script, Betty found herself in a creepy situation, where one of her lines was: "You're playing a dangerous game here. You're trying to blackmail me"; he seductively told her: "You know what I want. It's not that difficult"; she was cautioning the older lecherous gentleman to get out, or otherwise, she would inform her parents who were upstairs about their sexual affair, but then she surrendered to him: ("If I tell them what happened, they'll arrest you and put you in jail, so get out of here before... (they kissed) I kill you"); at the end of their tortured and passionate conversation, she denounced him: ("I hate you. I hate us both"); as a result of her first audition, Betty was naively led to believe by the over-the-hill film's producer Wally Brown (James Karen) (a friend of her Aunt Ruth) that she was gifted and talented ("extraordinary") and was succeeding in her quest for fame in Hollywood
• afterwards, Betty was led to another set where casting director Adam Kesher was listening to song auditions for the lead role in his new Hollywood film; as they entered the sound stage, an impressive young brunette singer named Carol (Elizabeth Lackey) was singing Connie Stevens' 1960 biggest hit song "Sixteen Reasons" with a back-up group; as she entered, Betty momentarily locked eyes with Adam

Auditions on the Set With Director Adam Kesher
Carol (Elizabeth Lackey) Performing "Sixteen Reasons"
Camilla Rhodes (Melissa George) Singing "I've Told Every Little Star"

• the second auditioning ingenue actress-singer was blonde Camilla Rhodes (Melissa George) singing Linda Scott's "I've Told Every Little Star"; during Camilla's audition, Adam (who had been forcibly coached) decisively declared: "This is the girl"; Betty enviously and jealously watched on the set as Adam chose Camilla for the lead role; although Betty and Adam locked eyes a second time, without even auditioning, Betty hurriedly excused herself: "I have to be somewhere. I-I promised a friend. I'm sorry. I-I must go"; Betty knew that she had been rejected and jilted and her career was faltering
• after leaving the set, Betty and 'Rita' shared a taxi to continue their investigation at Diane Selwyn's residence in the Sierra Bonita apartment complex at 2590; they ducked down to avoid being noticed by two detectives parked on the street; when they knocked on the door of "Apartment 12," the female occupant (Johanna Stein) explained how apartments had been switched, and that Diane Selwyn was actually residing in Apartment 17. [Note: She was covering up the fact that she (W. DeRosa) and Diane had been lovers-roommates in Apt. 17, but then after a break-up, due to girlfriend Camilla's theft of Diane's heart, the displaced female had moved into Apartment 12.]

'Rita' (a Decaying Corpse) On the Bed in Apartment 17

• Betty broke into Apt. 17 (through a side window) when there was no answer at the door; once inside the dark residence, the two held their noses due to the smell; in the bedroom, they viewed what they thought was 'Rita's dark dress and shape on a bed (with reddish sheets - similar to the opening POV shot); they had actually discovered the corpse of aspiring actress Diane - more to be revealed later [Note: This was a terrifying foreshadowing -- Diane was really a dirty-blonde, failed actress and junkie - looking jaded, haggard, and beaten down, and had been living by herself in a cheap rented apartment.]
• 'Rita' was very distraught by the sight of the corpse; they retreated back to Aunt Ruth's apartment where 'Rita' threatened to cut her hair; Betty attempted to comfort 'Rita' ("I know what you have to do, but let me do it"); she refashioned 'Rita' to "look like someone else" - to become a blonde by donning a blonde wig and then pulling her in front of a mirror [Note: This was a clear indication that the two identities of blonde Betty/Diane and 'Rita' were somehow integrally intertwined; the incident was symbolic of the relationship between Diane/Betty and 'Rita'; Betty remade Rita to look more like her as a blonde in order to be transformed into her ideal.]
• as they prepared to go to bed, Betty urged 'Rita' to not sleep on the couch; 'Rita' removed her wig and then her robe, and slipped into Betty's bed naked; Betty mentioned: "It's more comfortable than the couch, isn't it?"; Rita leaned over and kissed Betty innocently on the forehead: Rita: "Good night, sweet Betty" and Betty replied: "Goodnight"
• in a possible DREAM sequence, they engaged in the first of two steamy, topless, hesitant and exploratory lesbian love scenes in the film; and then Betty asked a question of Rita: "Have you ever done this before?" followed by passionate kisses, and Rita answered: "I don't know. Have you?"; Betty then confessed: "I want to with you. I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you"; this was accompanied by more kisses and sexual touching; as they slept, their faces merged together
• in the middle of the night - signifying that this was their continuing dream sequence, the two awakened to the words: "SILENCIO" and "No hay banda"; Betty urged a reluctant 'Rita' that it was OK to wake up; 'Rita' suggested that they go "somewhere" although it was 2 am; the now-blonde 'Rita' and Betty took a taxi through dark LA streets to a nightclub called Club Silencio, where a man named Bondar (the same actor as Cookie) appeared on stage and announced that the music and singing were all an illusion and faked: ("It's all recorded. No hay banda! It's all a tape. Il n'est pas de orquestra. It is an illusion!"); seated in the audience, Betty began to shake uncontrollably; on stage live, the singer Rebekah Del Rio (as Herself) collapsed and revealed that she had been lip-synching a Spanish version of Roy Orbison's song about heartbreak: "Crying - " that had caused Betty and 'Rita' to also cry; Betty reached into her purse and found a blue box

Betty Discovered Blue Box in Her Purse

'Rita' Opening Betty's Blue Box

Zoom Into the Interior of the Opened Blue Box

• back at Aunt Ruth's apartment, Rita retrieved her purse in the hat box and found a mysterious blue KEY (2nd) to open the box, as Betty suddenly disappeared; 'Rita' asked: "Donde estas? (Where are you?)" -- a KEY moment in the film - Diane's DREAM-like part of the film ended at the 111 minute mark; Rita used her blue key to open Betty's blue box; after being opened; a zoom into the black interior of the box signaled a transitional change from a dream to reality; the blue box fell to the floor and 'Rita' also disappeared [Note: The opening of the blue box signified that Diane's escapist false dream that she had created about her alter-ego Betty had ended.]; red-haired Aunt Ruth had apparently returned and entered the bedroom and found that nothing was disturbed
• at the same time, back in Diane Selwyn's (also Naomi Watts) apartment #17 bedroom, The Cowboy appeared in the doorway and spoke to the sleeping Diane (who resembled Betty), telling her: "Hey, pretty girl. Time to wake up"; when Diane was commanded to wake up at her apartment from her dream by the Cowboy, the remainder of the story in the film's last section was told as a flashback - and was an accounting of what had really happened; the film now shifted entirely to the character of Diane Selwyn (also Naomi Watts), a failed, dirty-blonde aspiring actress with significant delusions; her earlier motivation to rescue 'Rita' (and express unrequited love for her) had been her attempt to conquer, possess and vanquish her competitive rival - aspiring actress Camilla (also played by Laura Elena Harring), but it appeared that she had utterly failed
• Diane had become despondent and upset, had snorted cocaine, and had fallen into a deep sleep-stupor (accompanied by dreams); persistent knocking at the door had actually stirred Diane; she was awakened by her acquaintance (her former female roommate who had been displaced by Camilla about 3 weeks earlier); she entered and asked for the return of her belongings (lamp, dishes and ashtray); as the belongings were gathered together in a box, Diane noticed a blue key on the coffee table; before leaving, the ex-roommate warned about the continuing investigation into her location: "Those two detectives came by again, looking for you"
• as she stood in her kitchen, the guilt-ridden, hallucinating and depressed Diane fantasized that a radiant-looking, bi-sexual 'Rita'/Camilla had entered ("You've come back!"); the scene was disjointed due to an almost imperceptible switch in characters and setting; after brewing up some drip-coffee for herself, a half-naked Diane (with cut-off-jeans) approached the awaiting, equally-topless Camilla awaiting her for sex on the couch; Camilla told Diane: "You drive me wild!"; (See uncensored version here) after touching and kissing for a few moments, Diane was coldly rejected when told: "We shouldn't do this anymore"; Diane objected and was devastated: "Don't ever say that," although Camilla reminded her: "I've tried to tell you this before"; Diane reacted suspiciously: "It's him, isn't it?"

The 'Real' Diane On the Set During the Rehearsal of a Scene - Jealous of Brunette Camilla Kissing Director Adam Kesher

• still in her dream, Diane jealously recalled that on the set earlier during a rehearsal of a scene, director Adam played a love scene in the front seat of a vehicle with brunette Camilla, and passionately kissed her; after a fade to black for the scene, at her front door, Diane dismissed Camilla and the two broke up, as Diane yelled and slammed the door: "It's not easy for me!"

Diane's Fevered and Anguished Masturbation After a Total Break and Rejection by Camilla

• afterwards by herself, still fantasizing about her lost girlfriend and fantasy lover Camilla and suffering from unrequited love, the dejected Diane masturbated in a fevered state, crying and anguished
• Diane's phone rang (on a nightstand with a red lampshade and ashtray filled with cigarette butts) - it was Camilla inviting Diane to attend a dinner party at the Mulholland Dr. home of casting director Adam; a car would be sent to await her out front; now at the end of the film, the story circled flashed back to the beginning - dirty blonde Diane (not 'Rita') was now in a limo on its way to 6980 Mulholland Dr.; when the vehicle pulled over, Diane was surprised by the appearance of Camilla, who greeted her and showed her a "secret path" or shortcut to the house; hand in hand, Camilla led the way uphill as soothing music played - had they reconciled?

Two Different Trips on Mulholland Dr. to Adam's Party
'Rita' - Beginning of Film	Diane - End of Film

• at Adam's house-pool party, he brought them drinks to share in a toast: "Here's to love"; Diane was introduced to the mother of casting director Adam - "Coco" - the same person who was her apartment building's manager, although Diane didn't know her; during dinner, Diane described how she had arrived in Hollywood from Canada after winning a jitterbug contest, and believing she had aspirations to be an actress; now according to Diane, her Aunt Ruth had died and left her an inheritance; she had met Camilla while auditioning for Adam's new movie The Sylvia North Story; Diane confessed: "I wanted the lead so bad. Anyway, Camilla got the part"; during an audition with director Bob Brooker, Diane believed that he had disliked her: "He didn't think so much of me"; however, Camilla (on the set) had been helpful as a friend and assisted her in getting some minor film roles
• later in the evening at the party, Diane's vision blurred as Adam revealed to everyone that he had successfully divorced his wife, and his life was now very much under control; he had successfully maneuvered through his divorce with legal representation: ("I got the pool and she got the pool-man. I couldn't believe it, I wanted to buy that judge a Rolls-Royce. Sometimes good things happen"); Diane jealously saw (or imagined) Camilla and the blonde starlet Camilla Rhodes kissing; Adam also asked for everyone's attention to announce that he was now engaged to his major brunette star Camilla
• [Note: obviously, Diane's dream fantasy of stardom had been shattered - she had imagined how her life could have been better - unrealistically, from the beginning of the film; she had seen herself as naive starlet Betty with both a successful Hollywood career and a love affair with girlfriend Camilla (the film's major storyline) but everything had failed miserably; in her mind, Camilla was sleeping with the director, and had also found another lesbian lover - also named Camilla Rhodes.]
• Diane's memory or recall of the engagement announcement was interrupted by the crash of plates, dropped by a clumsy Winkie's waitress named Betty (formerly identifed as Diane!); rather than accepting rejection on so many fronts, Diane was then seen inside Winkie's diner (on Sunset Blvd.) arranging to hire the same incompetent hitman to eliminate her competition; Diane contracted for $50,000 for Joe to kill the voluptuous Camilla, identified by a head-shot photograph ("This is the girl"); the hitman pulled out a blue KEY (3rd) and told Diane that once the hit had been made, she would find the key in a prearranged location ("When it's finished, you'll find this where I told you"); Diane briefly noticed dreamer Dan at the check-out counter; there was also a quick glimpse of the homeless vagrant behind the diner next to the dumpster who was in possession of the blue box

Hitman (with Resentful and Jealous Diane) and Waitress Betty (Missy Crider) at Winkie's Restaurant

• the blue key was prominently sitting on the coffee table in her apartment; Diane wondered whether Camilla had been eliminated (was her assumption correct or not?); after she began to wildly hallucinate other terrorizing characters, Diane raced into her darkened bedroom, reached into her nightstand drawer for a gun, and suicidally shot herself in the head; the monstrous dumpster vagrant was briefly viewed; the final spoken word of the film was "Silencio" softly uttered by blue-haired singer Rebekah sitting in a theater box and looking down on an empty stage - the pronouncement signified Diane's death
• [Note: It could be conjectured that after Diane shot herself, her brain's electrical activity intensified before she actually died; and for those few seconds, it's possible that she triggered - literally - the fantasy visions that composed the first three-quarters of the film; one of her remorseful delusions might have been that 'Rita'/Camilla had survived the car accident at the film's opening, when in reality, that's when she died.]